DETERMINATION OF SELENIUM BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY ELECTRON-CAPTURE DETECTION USING A RAPID DERIVATIZATION PROCEDURE

A rapid method of determination of selenium by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection using 3-bromo-5-trifluoromethyl-1,2-diamin obenzene as complexing ligand was investigated. The temperature-depend ent reaction was kinetically evaluated and at 100-degrees-C the time f or the quantitative formation of piazselenol can be reduced to less th an 5 min without any discrepancies in the quantitative determination o f selenium. The method was applied to the determination of the organos elenium compounds evolved from incubated sediments. The compounds were separated and identified as dimethylselenide and dimethyldiselenide u sing GC-MS.